European Union

DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

The protest against France's planned labour market reform continue to spread. Tens of thousands demonstrated on Thursday, while rail, airport and nuclear power plant strikes have paralysed the country. Commentators in neighbouring countries praise both the rebellious population and the unrelenting president.

Russia released Ukrainian fighter pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who had been sentenced to 22 years in prison, and sent her home to Ukraine on Wednesday. In return the government in Kiev freed two men it suspects of being Russian soldiers. Who stands to gain from Savchenko's release?

A Swedish government commission is calling for a legal amendment that would allow the authorities to clear the camps set up by Roma from Romania and Bulgaria. In recent years around 30 of these illegal camps have sprung up in Stockholm alone. Is this the right way to put an end to begging on Sweden's streets?

According to media reports the party platform Most - junior partner in the conservative HDZ party's coalition government - has called for the latter's leader to resign as deputy prime minister. Karamarko has been implicated in a corruption scandal involving Hungarian energy group Mol. The Croatian press hotly debates Most's initiative.

The Greek parliament has approved a series of cutbacks and tax hikes in order to secure the release of fresh loans from the country's creditors. The measures also include an automatic debt brake and a privatisation fund that will administer and sell state property. The last measure in particular is a source of heated debate in the Greek media.